Requirements/Restrictions for Blood Donors

There are a few basic requirements that any prospective blood donor must meet: you must be in generally good health, be at least 17 years old (or 16 with parent’s consent), and weigh at least 115 pounds. Apheresis donations (platelets, double reds) have additional requirements. You can read about those processes here. Because blood donations are so important to the public health, the FDA strictly regulates them. This means that certain people cannot give or must wait for a certain period of time until they can give.

To help ensure the safety of donors and our blood supply, prospective donors are given mini-physicals and asked questions about their health history. If you have questions about your eligibility to donate blood, please call 901.529.6320 or 1.888.LIFEBLOOD.